The surprising truth of how McDonald’s fries are actually made
McDonald’s fries have a cult following among its fans, but many of them would be surprised by how these fries are actually made by the fast-food giant.
McDonald’s fries have maintained their status as one of their most iconic and popular menu items. For most fans, no McDonald’s trip is complete without ordering a bag of fries on the side.
Discover our latest podcast
For many years there have been many conspiracy theories about what goes into these fries, but not too many people are still aware of how exactly McDonald’s makes its fries and the secrets which give it a distinct taste and texture with a crunchy exterior and a fluffy interior.
More under this adMore under this ad
The ingredients in McDonald’s fries
McDonald’s has always maintained that its fries are made with premium potatoes such as Russet Burbank and the Shepody. They also claim that the fries have 0g of trans fat per labelled serving.
More under this adMore under this adAn investigation into McDonald’s fries by CNET revealed that indeed all McDonald’s fries are made from real potatoes and additionally, the company does not purchase any GMO (genetically modified organism) potatoes.
The specific shape of McDonald’s fries comes from a special machine ‘that looks like a giant wood chipper,’ which is used to cut the potatoes. Once the fries have been cut, dextrose and sodium acid pyrophosphate are added, so they maintain the shiny colour.
More under this adMore under this adThen the fries are partially cooked in the factory with four different oils (soybean, hydrogenated soybean, canola and corn) and then flash-frozen and packed off to different McDonald’s restaurants.
So fans can rest easy that your favourite fries do not taste this good due to some secret addictive ingredients and they are made using standard elements and well-thought-out food technologies.
More under this adMore under this ad
McDonald’s ‘Free Fries Friday’
In related news, McDonald’s has announced that it’s going to be having ‘Free Fries Friday’ for the rest of 2022. Fans can enjoy free medium Fries with a minimum purchase of $1 on the McDonald’s App.
More under this adMore under this adIn order to claim free fries every Friday, add any item with a minimum value of $1 in your cart. Then all you need to do is go to the deals tab and select the Free Fries Friday deal. Tap 'Add Deal to Mobile Order' button and your free fries would be added to your order at no extra cost at all.
Sources used:
CNET: ‘Former MythBuster goes on McDonald's french fry fact-finding hunt’
Mashed: ‘This Is How McDonald's French Fries Are Really Made’